Genre
Play
Language
English
Setting and Context
Set in Martin and Stevie’s home
Narrator and Point of View
The narrator is not part of the play.
Tone and Mood
The tone is ardent and the tone is sanguine
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonists are Martin and Stevie.
Major Conflict
There is a conflict between Martin and Ross during the interview. Ross realizes that Martin is not concentrating because something is bothering him.
Climax
The climax comes in Scene One, after Martin confesses to Ross that he is having an illicit sexual relationship with Sylvia behind his wife's back.
Foreshadowing
Billy’s emotional pain in Scene Two is foreshadowed by the realization that he is homosexual.
Understatement
The anger of Stevie after his husband confesses that he loves another woman called Sylvia is understated.
Allusions
The play alludes to complexity in relationships and sexual identity.
Imagery
The predominant imagery is in Scene One, where Stevie sniffs an odd odor from her husband and jokingly claims that he had sex with the goat.
Paradox
There is a paradox in Scene Three when Martin passionately kisses his son, Billy, who is homosexual.
Parallelism
There is parallelism between Martin’s love for Sylvia and the affection he feels towards Billy.
Personification
The goat is personified when Stevie says that her husband had an affair with it.
Use of Dramatic Devices
N/A
